Diagnosing Your Groups: Why Arrows Land High, Low, Left, or Right

Every archer has been there; your arrows group well, but they aren’t landing where you want them. Maybe they’re creeping high, drifting left, or clustering low. These patterns aren’t random. Each direction of impact can tell you something about what’s happening in your shot.

In this post, we’ll break down the common causes of flyers,  high, low, left, right and how you can use them to diagnose problems in your form and execution.

What Causes Flyers?

Although some factors differ between recurve, barebow, and compound, most impact patterns can be explained by fundamentals like grip pressure, draw length, string alignment, or bow arm control. Recognizing these patterns helps you correct mistakes before they become habits.High Impact Points

Causes:

• Too much pressure on the bottom of the grip, rocking the bow upward.

• More index finger curl on the string hand (versus more bottom finger curl).

• Longer draw length than usual, which adds power and speed.

• Shooting with your jaw open instead of teeth together, which changes your anchor reference.

• Tailwinds can also push arrows high (though light tailwinds in some environments may have the opposite effect).

Fixes:

• Check grip pressure, keep it consistent and centered.

• Keep teeth gently together to avoid changing anchor height.

• Pay attention to consistent draw length.

Low Impact Points

Causes:

• More pressure into the pivot point of the grip.

• More bottom finger curl on the string hand.

• Shorter draw length, collapsing, or creeping forward at release.

• Dropping the bow arm dramatically.

• String contact with the arm or chest.

• Headwinds pushing arrows down.

Fixes:

• Watch for bow arm drop — keep strong follow-through.

• Eliminate string contact with clothing or chest protector.

• Maintain back tension to prevent collapsing.

Right Impact Points (for Right-Handed Archers)

Causes:

• Canting the bow to the right.

• Moving the string left (poor string alignment).

• Weak shot execution: plucking, collapsing, creeping.

• Weak bow arm collapsing inward.

Fixes:

• Double-check bow cant, keep limbs vertical.

• Reinforce string alignment; think of it as your rear sight.

• Build strength and structure in the bow arm.

• Focus on strong follow-through rather than ending the shot at release.

Left Impact Points (for Right-Handed Archers)

Causes:

• Canting the bow to the left.

• Moving the string right.

• Bow torque in the grip.

• Weak bow arm structure (elbow rotated up, shoulder elevated).

• Excessive string contact on bow arm, chest, or shirt.

• Defensive bow arm instead of driving forward.

Fixes:

• Ensure neutral grip pressure to avoid torque.

• Keep bow arm aggressive toward the target.

• Adjust stance or clothing to prevent string contact.

Combining Impact Patterns

Sometimes arrows land in diagonal groups, like low left or high right. These usually result from a combination of faults. For example:

• High right: plucking or collapsing during release.

• Low left: consistent string contact with arm or chest.

Pay attention to how the shot felt and compare it with where the arrow landed. Over time, you’ll begin to connect the dots between execution and impact.

Final Thoughts

Arrow impact points are like feedback from your bow. They tell you when something in your shot process is off — whether it’s grip pressure, draw length, or bow arm stability. By learning to “read” your groups, you can self-diagnose issues, fix them, and tighten your performance.

Archery is objective. The target doesn’t lie. The more you pay attention to where your arrows land and why the faster you’ll progress as an archer.